Wheel.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

0. W. PRADEAU.

WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 332130.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1906.

Application filed. September 30, 1905. Serial No. 280,801.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLIAM tion, such as will enable othersskilled in the,

art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in wheels for motor-cars andother vehicles, the object being to provide a device which will dispensewith the necessity for the use of pneumatic tires and which will act asefiiciently or more efficiently than the pneumatic tires.

In carrying out my invention I provide at the outer ends of the spokesof the wheel springs which are contained in cylinders or casingsattached to the spokes, said springs also acting upon the .ends ofplungers which work in said cylinders or casings, the other ends of theplungers being pivoted to plates which are attached to the inner surfaceof the rim of the wheel, said plates having suitable right-angleprojections or bearing-bridges to which the said plungers are pivoted bymeans of a crankaction, the rim of the wheel being made considerablydeeper and hollow, so as to protect the said series of plungers and to'form a bearing-surface for the said cylinders or casings whichprotrudethrough the inner surface of same. Any suitable rim or hard tiremay be attached to the rim of the Wheel and in order that my saidinvention may be better understoodI will now proceed to describe thesame with reference to the drawings accompanying this specification, in

which Figure I shows elevation of wheel with one spoke in sectionconstructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,partly n section through the line A B, Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 aredetails hereinafter referred to.

The same characters of reference are employed to denote the same partsin all the views. a shows ring to take hub of wheel.

b shows spokes made of wood or other mafixed to the.

terial.

represents hollow cylinders end of the spokes b, the lower'endsof whichcylinders screw onto hollow bosses '21, fixed to aringd.

e is the rim of wheel, which may be provided with a solid tire, as shownat Fig. 2. On the inner circumference of the rim e are boltedbearing-pieces 9 represents forked pieces to which are connectedplungers h, passing through the hollow bosses 2'. Over the top of eachplunger h is passed a cap j.

7c is a helical spring placed in the cylinder 0, a portion of whichspring surrounds the cap 7', the outer end of said spring pressing onthe flange of such cap. The lower end of the plunger h'is forked, asshown in side elevation, detached at Fig. 5, and to the lower ends ofthis fork is pivoted a crank-piece m by means of a crank-pin 1', andthis crankpiece m is mounted at s in the bearing-piece f.

- Through the innerends of the cylinders 0 pass hollow tension-rods 0.These rods also pass through the spokes b, screw into the ring a, andare provided at their lower ends with screw-nuts 2. The rods 0 are madehollow for the purpose of lubrication, so that when the lubricant ispassed through the lubricating-hole t into the oil-box a it will passthrough the rods 0 to the interior of the cylinders c and lubricate thewhole mechanism.

. p represents plates (one at least of which is detachable) bolted oneach 'sideof the wheel, so as to cover the space between the ring d andthe rim e. Y

Fig. 4 shows one of the eyes g, which screw onto the rim e, detached;and Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of same. Fig. 6 shows plan of underportion of Fig. 5.

- It will be seen that as the Wheel rotates the pressure upon the groundwill cause the spring 7 in the bottom cylinder 0 to be compressed. Withregard to the spokes between the vertical and horizontal thecorresponding springs will be compressed to a less extent.

WVere it not for the employment of the crank-pieces m, it is obviousthat the springs would not be free to expand and" contract, but by theuse of such crank-pieces the forkpieces 9 at the sides of the wheel willbe free .to move to a limited extent independently of the outer rim, andconsequently the free ac- 1 tion of the springs is not interfered with,

while the rigidity and driving (powers of the with a hollow cylindercontaining a springing-hridge attached to the outer rim for supplunger,the outer end of each plunger being porting said pivoted member, andmeans for formed into a fork to which is pivoted acranki securing saidbearing-bridge to the rim, subpiece carried by a hearing-bridge attachedto 1 stantially as described.

5 the outer rim for the purposes set forth.

2; A spring-wheel for motor-ears, comprisin presence of two witnesses.ing a series of spokes, each proyided with a CHARLES WILLIAM PRADEAU.hollow cylinder, :1 spring-plunger mounted in 1 each cyllnder, a fork,formed at the outer end 10 of each plunger, :1 pivoted member, u heargWitnesses:

3 A. E. VIDAL, l l. D. JAMESON.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature

